Core catcher



F. l.. SCOTT CORE CATGHER NM1. 3y WSL Filed Jan. 8, 1929 I/VVENTOAJ A TTORNE y Patented Nov. 3, 1931i UNITEDl STATES l :FLOYD L. SCOTT, or HOUSTON, TEXAS, Assienorw'ro HUGHES TOOLSOMANYQOF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION yor TEXAS CORE CATGHER Application filed January 8,=.ii192e. ffserial No. 331.034.

My invention relates to means for engaging the core obtained in drilling with core drills.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple construction of core catcher which is not liable to become clogged inuse and therefore fail to function properly.

It is an object to construct the core engaging fingers so that the material cut by the drill may not get into the space behind the Said lingers and interfere with their working properly.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a drill, having my invention employed thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the core catcher removed from the drill, taken on the plane 2*-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on-the plane 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The core catcher may be employed with any ordinary type of core drill. I have shown it as used with a drill having a head divided into upper and lower sections. The

upper section 1 is threaded to engage a drill collar at 2, and is also threaded to receive the core barrel bushing 3, in which the core barrel 4 is welded.

The lower section, or cutter head 5 shoulders against the upper section at 6, and has threaded engagement therewithvat 7. The cutter head 5 has cutter blades 8 thereon to cut the bottom of the annular hole. It has passages 9 for flushing fluid which connect with an annular groove 10 in the shoulder 6. The channels 11 in the upper section 1 of the head connectv the groove 10 with the passage through the drill collar above.

The cutter blades 8 eXtendinto the central channel in the head a Short distance at 12 so as to cuta core 13 slightly smaller than the central opening 14 in the head. The

inner opening through the head is recessed at- 15 to receive the core catcher 16. The said recess is deeper at its upper end and is tapered downwardly to form the converging Seat 17. At the lower end of the seat, the recess is cylindrical to receive the sleeve 18 of the core catcher. The lower end of the -recess Ais 4formedwith aflsupport-ing/shouldella i.

'Ihe core catcher bodylismadelup ofthe sleeve18 ofheavyrsheet met'al.' iItf-has'a pluralityf of slotted 'openings 20 infthefisides throughwhich may project the:Scorerengagingv fingers 21.V Belowthe slots 20,the1outerwall of f .the :slee ve vis grooved-` :at *221:0 receive1 the lower 'ends kof the saidv spring fingers, 21.

"Said lingers aremade'iu'pfof'stripsiefspring steel bent. inwardly Vfrom. `their lower #ends tofcausel .the xupper ends :to/:project intolthe path of the core. The Saidxnpper-endsare also' bent or. twisted slightlytransverselyso that onez'c'orner of' each upperien'd ispresentl ed further inwardly than is 4thefother, thesaid corner shown at 28'bein'g on the receding'side as'. the drill @is rotated.

"llo/@preventy accumulations .of material behind.;said.:ngers, @blocks 211 of lmetal a-refse- .cured to .theouter sides `Ofrthe spring ingers.

Said fblo'clzsfare ywedge shaped,:y and iwhen' vin place, serve to practically fill the openings 20 even' when! the ".fingersziare bent inwardly. Thus, as seen from Fig. 2, the detritus from the drill cannot be forced in past the fingers and iill the recess 15 behind them, and prevent their moving out of the way of the core.

In Fig. 1 I have Shown the position of the fingers when the .core has moved past the fingers and it is to be noted that the recess Y 15 is filled by the blocks 24 upon the fingers so that no fragments of hard material from the core or the bottom of the holecan get past the fingers to clog their action. When the drill progresses, the core moves the fingers back, but when the core has been cut suciently, the upward movement of the drill and the core catcher, will cause the fingers to engage deeply into the core and break it 01T and serve to raise said core with saidcore catcher to the surface.

The advantage of this construction lies in the fact that the device will not clog in use but will function positively for prolonged periods. The arms 21 are strengthened by the blocks 241 and are also rendered free of accumulations of rock chips or fragments behind them which would interfere with action.

Also, the arms 21 are strengthened by the blocks 24 which bear against the Walls of the openings 2O as Vthe drill is rotated thus preventing undue strain on the Spring arms. The outer face being inclined outwardly at itsv forward edge, as seen in Fig.. 3,- the ends of the armsare forced past the core without great wear.

What I claim as new is l. A core catcher for core drills comprising Y a sleeve of metal shaped to fit within a core drill head, said sleeve having spaced openings therein, spring iingers secured at the lower ends of said openings and projecting inwardly at their upper ends, and means on said lingers to close said openings and prevent the entrance of material tending to clog action of saidiingers. 2. A core catcher for core drills com rising a sleeve of metal shapedcto. fit within a core drill head, said sleeve having spaced longitudinal openings therein, spring fingers secured at the lower ends of said openings and projecting inwardly at their upper ends, and wedge shaped blocks secured to said fingers to close said openings and prevent the entrance of material tending to clog the action of said fingers.

3. A. core catcher. lfor core drills comprising a cylindrical sleeve, having spaced longitudinal openings therein, core engaging ingers secured to said sleeve and movable in said openings, and means on the outer faces of said fingers tending to fill sa-idopenings and prevent the passage of detritus.

In-testimony whereof I hereunto affix. my signature thisy 2nd day of January, A. D.

FLOYD L. SCOTT. 

